Spring Blues

Spring means the time to go home is ever closer.  This year we never really had winter so the students and families started feeling this early on.

Sometimes this can come with negative feelings. We call these feelings Pre-Departure Anxiety.  Everyone feels them and just as everyone is unique they show these feelings in many different ways.

Some will pull away from the family or the family from the student, some will use anger to make it easier to separate when the time comes, some will all of a sudden not want anyone out of their sight... the list continues on  and on of how one can show these feelings.

Sometimes if these feelings come and there is no communication about them then the outcome is very sad.  It happens every year somewhere in the US when a host family and student don't talk about what they are feeling and why. They pretend as if all is well and it grows to a point where it can't be fixed anymore and the student must be relocated.  I have had such an instance this year and it makes my heart very sad.

Situations like this can be very easily avoided by talking first to each other and then to me as the coordinator.  I have received training to help in this capacity. I love it when I can help a family through a difficult time and we come out victorious.